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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25701889">And they were roommates</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/one2san/pseuds/one2san'>one2san</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Best friend trio Ako Asuka and Rokka, F/F, Roommates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:34:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,448</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25701889</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/one2san/pseuds/one2san</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Unlike most people her age, Rokka didn't live with her friends in college, and continued to live with strangers instead. Her Sophomore year, Masuki was that stranger roommate. They start on the wrong foot but after a strange night something changes between the two. Something...romantic?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Asahi Rokka/Satou Masuki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>And they were roommates</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I suck at summaries but I love Masuki x Rokka so much <br/>so much</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">Most people roomed with their friends past Freshman year of college. It made sense. You made friends your first year or had friends from high school, and you roomed together as soon as you could. This was not the case for Rokka, unfortunately. She had made friends her freshman year but they either roomed with their other friends or with each other, leaving her with her own devices and another year of the blind roommate dance.</p>
<p class="p1">Her freshman year roommate had been alright, they were acquaintances and nothing more. They rarely fought and she was eternally thankful for that. She really didn’t need another stress on top of school. So when she moved into her dorm Sophomore year, she held her breath hoping for the best. At worst, she would suffer another year and hopefully study abroad in South Korea or England or something her Junior year to forget the pain of it all. At best, she would make a new best friend. Although the chances of that were slim though, she was sure.</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka had moved into her new dorm room with the help of her parents with no interruptions, and they left her after eating lunch together. She had gathered the name and number of her new roommate, seemingly a Junior named Masuki, but she had given no estimation of her own moving in time. Not that she particularly cared. She <em>was </em>just a stranger.</p>
<p class="p1">She went through the rest of her day catching up with her friends from the prior year and interacting with other people moving in, preparing to resettle into the hustle and bustle of university life. Her new roommate had completely passed through her mind until she got a text during her dinner with her best friends Ako and Asuka. The text read “Need help. Come now.” Nothing else. Not a “Hi! I’m moving in now! It’d be great to have your help and to meet you!” Not a “Sorry I didn’t tell you when I was moving in,” no. Just a “Need help. Come now.” And nothing else. Rokka had a bad feeling about this new roommate already.</p>
<p class="p1">“What’s up Rokka-chan?” Ako asked, her purple hair bouncing at her shoulders.</p>
<p class="p1">She shook her head, “Just my new roommate. She didn’t contact me at all until right now and she said she needs my help.” Rokka looked up from her phone to her friends, “Doesn’t that sound…a bit rude…to you guys?” She didn’t want to seem like a bad person, but that definitely sounded rude to her.</p>
<p class="p1">Asuka chewed on her chopstick tentatively, “I mean, I can see what you mean. But if she needs help, we should go help her! Shouldn’t we?”</p>
<p class="p1">Ako nodded, and Rokka shrugged. She shouldn’t judge her new roommate based off <em>one </em>text. They quickly finished their dinner and together the three of them headed off to her new dorm room to meet this Masuki and come to her aid.</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka unlocked the door to see a tall blonde girl with a ridiculous sized television in front of her. She wore large, loosely fitting clothes as well as large black earrings. While her face shape looked harsh, her expression breathed helpless. Rokka guessed she had attempted to carry the whole TV all by herself.</p>
<p class="p1">“You must be Masuki-san,” Rokka immediately blurted, her friends flanking behind her as they approached toward the TV and the girl. She bowed lightly before proceeding with her introduction, “I’m Asahi Rokka, and this is Ako and Asuka.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Sure. You brought friends, great. Now help me carry this onto that stand,” with those words, her roommate’s eyes and head flicked toward the TV stand across the center room. They lived in a suite style, which meant they shared a common room and bathroom between two single rooms.</p>
<p class="p1">Without hesitation, they moved into work. The four of them heaved the hefty television onto the TV stand, the only sound in the room their exasperated breaths. While in pain for the thirty seconds that it took to move the device, Rokka had already decided in her head that she disliked this new roommate.</p>
<p class="p1">After that was done with, Masuki spoke again. The blonde wiped her hands on the side of her pants and faced toward Rokka, “I’m Satou Masuki, nice to meet you. Thanks for helping me carry that.” She failed to notice prior the deepness of the roommate’s voice. As much as he already grew to dislike her, a part of her <em>did</em> like her deep voice. It felt…comforting.</p>
<p class="p1">The two exchanged handshakes, “Nice to meet you, Masuki-san. Please treat me well. Do you need anymore help moving in?” Her mind began to wonder the location of her roommate’s friends and family and why they weren’t here helping.</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki shook her head, “Got it all in the bag. I just struggled with the TV is all. You’re free to go now.” <em>What? You’re free to go now? </em>Rokka’s self-confidence had improved a lot from her pushover high school days, but that only made her temper rise a little faster.</p>
<p class="p1">“I mean…I live here. I live in that room right there.” She pointed with her arm toward the other end of the room, the door of her room closed. “Do you want to talk at all?” Rokka tried her best to hold in any discontent still. They <em>were</em> still strangers.</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki shrugged, “‘Bout what? It looked like you were having a good time with your friends and I interrupted it. Feel free to leave and go back to whatever you were doing.” She slumped down onto the futon that lay across from the TV as a viewing place, placing her two arms behind her neck casually, “Don’t mind me.”</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka shrugged, she had a good point. But the uneasy feeling resonated in her stomach. Even <em>if</em> she found Masuki’s deep voice oddly comforting. “I guess that’s true. We can talk about chores and learn about each through the year. I’ll go show my friends my room now.”</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki nodded and the three of them turned their backs to her and into the sweet retreat of her room. Once inside with the door closed, a giggle fest ensued. They may be in college now, but that didn’t mean they still weren’t prone to giggling like high schoolers now and again.</p>
<p class="p1">After wiping a tear from laughter, Ako spoke first, “She seemed nice in my opinion! Sure she ignored our existence, but look at what she was wearing! And her voice! She’s so <em>cool!</em>” There it was. Ako’s iconic “cool.”</p>
<p class="p1">Asuka shrugged, “I agree to an extent. I mean, she could’ve been friendlier in her approach to meeting you. But her sentiment seemed genuine.” The two of her friends flopped themselves onto her new mattress, completely ignoring any pleas for a “nicely made bed for her first night back at school.”</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka nodded as she tried to push her friends farther along her bed to fit herself on it, “I guess. I mean, we’ll see how the rest of the year goes. I just hope they’re just not all repeats of today.” She hoped.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">Her hopes had been correct. At least for the most part. They lived together well for the most part, Rokka and Masuki. Rokka considered them to be acquaintances at least, friends at most. Their schedules were mostly opposites of each other, so in some ways Rokka felt like she lived alone. Their relationship completely changed in one night, though.</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka prepared to wrap up practicing her guitar for the night after realizing that the time neared two in the morning, when she heard the front door to the dorm open unnecessarily loud. She knew that Masuki would be the perpetrator, but her mind questioned the reason behind her roommate coming home so late. Then she shrugged, the day <em>was </em>Friday. People went out on Fridays. None of her business.</p>
<p class="p1">Well, whatever Masuki did <em>was </em>none of her business until she heard a frustrated knock on her door. “Welcome home Masuki-san, what do you need?” She called out innocently, heading to open the door for her roommate. Masuki rarely, if ever, went out of her way to disrupt Rokka, especially at night.</p>
<p class="p1">She opened the door to see her older roommate with cheeks red as roses, reeking of some kind of hard liquor Rokka wished she didn’t know. “Rokka! Rokka! You’re here!” Her eyes searched around Rokka’s room, and just then did she realize that they never really showed each other their spaces.</p>
<p class="p1"><em> Of course I’m here, I live here</em>. She wanted to say. But what she <em>did</em> say was, “Yes I am, what do you need Masuki-san?”</p>
<p class="p1">The blonde’s deep voice boomed, as if to show off to…someone? “I need you to let me sleep in your bed.”</p>
<p class="p1">“What?” Her mouth moved before she had time to process whatever interaction she and her roommate were having.</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki rested a forearm on a side of the door and used her other hand’s index finger to specify, “I need you to let me borrow your bed for the night.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Why?” The words fell out of her mouth again. <em>What has gotten into her?</em></p>
<p class="p1">Masuki looked at her as if she asked what college they went to. “You don’t need to know. I just…need to sleep somewhere other than my bed tonight.”</p>
<p class="p1">“There’s a perfectly fine futon in the common space, just sleep there.” Rokka tried to reason, still confused. This <em>was </em>just drunk nonsense, right?</p>
<p class="p1">Her roommate moved her head to look in the common room so fast Rokka feared she would get whiplash, “Oh <em>shit</em>, we do!” A small smile rose on her lips and Rokka realized that she had never actually seen her smile before. She did a quick military salute with a “‘Night Rokka,” before immediately flopping face-down onto the futon. Rokka slowly shook her head and closed the door, assuming that was the worst of the weirdness for the night. She was wrong.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">Her body and mind awakened to the joyous sound of morning birds and the gentle light passing through the blinds. From the sound and strength of the light, her sleepy mind assumed the time had been fairly early, roughly six or seven in the morning. Rokka’s body resisted her mind’s urge to stay awake and get an early rise and <em>finally</em> be productive from first thing in the morning like all the books said. Her eyes barely open, she rolled over to her other side to get comfortable there, planning to go back to sleep.</p>
<p class="p1">That’s when her leg hit the other body. Her eyes flipped open then, sleepiness still arguing with her to “ignore it and just go back to sleep.” In front of her laid the back of her roommate, blonde hair a mess and still in her casual clothes. She slept so peacefully that for a second Rokka’s drowsy mind didn’t want to bother her, just to ignore her and go “ah there’s Masuki, that’s nice, now go back to sleep.” At least a part of her wanted to do that.</p>
<p class="p1">What she instead did was immediately kick the other girl out of her bed. Literally. Both of her feet nudged her roommate straight onto the floor with a thump. “I’m sorry,” she voiced hoarsely when her roommate’s eyes rushed open in confusion.</p>
<p class="p1">“What the hell?” Masuki’s voice was somehow deeper in the morning, menacing almost. For a second, Rokka forgot she was in her own bed and not Masuki’s and her mind feared some kind of punishment.</p>
<p class="p1">“You were in my bed,” was all that came out of Rokka, and Masuki shook her head slowly, still confused and half-asleep.</p>
<p class="p1">“Oh, alright,” Masuki replied before immediately going back to laying on the floor. Just. On the floor. On Rokka’s nice clean floor, her hungover roommate went back to sleep.</p>
<p class="p1">At that point her exhausted mind kept bugging her about how she needed more sleep, and going to sleep at two a.m. meant she should rest more while the light in the room was still low, and before she knew it her eyes closed and her head rested back on the pillow. The dark figure on the floor resembling a dead body.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">The next time she awoke Masuki was gone. The natural light lit up the room magnificently, as if she had definitely slept much more than needed. She <em>did</em> feel well-rested, at least. She grabbed her glasses from the bedside table and lazily made the way to open her bedroom door, when she realized that it already was open. The whole of her dorm was empty, her roommate nowhere to be found. She shrugged, still half-sleep and started her usual Saturday morning routine despite the time being about three hours later.</p>
<p class="p1">She went the rest of the day not seeing Masuki again, her mind wandering the whole time about how to approach her about the night before. Ako suggested she slyly add it into conversation, Asuka suggested she just bluntly complain. There was so many unknown variables she couldn’t even wrap her head around it. Her life felt like an impossible math problem.</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki returned that evening around six, acting as if nothing happened. Rokka was mad at her for a variety of reasons, but she kept them all in to make letting them out easier.</p>
<p class="p1">“I’m home Rokka,” she called gruffly into the air, her voice light. Rokka immediately rushed out of her room and marched in front of her roommate.</p>
<p class="p1">“Welcome home Masuki-san. We need to talk <em>now</em>,” she tried to contain the anger in her voice, but instead it came out barking like a dog. Masuki shrugged, her head immediately going to the floor. They moved to the futon and sat next to each other there. Rokka took a deep breath, her mind racing with all of the points she needed to make.</p>
<p class="p1">“Why were you in my bed last night?” She had initially wanted to sound…not as angry. Like she could try to understand her roommate’s point. She came out much angrier than planned.</p>
<p class="p1">“Oh right, I <em>did </em>do that,” Masuki said nonchalantly. Y<em>es you did! Of course you did! </em>Her insides seethed. Her eyes bore into her roommate’s, searching for answers in the only place she knew where to look. For the first time ever, Rokka felt like Masuki didn’t know what to say. She seemed <em>nervous</em>. The fact that someone as charismatic as Masuki could be nervous shook her to her bones.</p>
<p class="p1">“Uh…I don’t know if you’re homophobic or anything but my girlfriend broke up with me last night so…uh…” Masuki’s deep voice went to a decibel that Rokka had to strain her ears to hear even right next to her.</p>
<p class="p1">Her eyes immediately widened, not extremely shocked at the sexuality reveal, but more…at what? At someone wanting to break up with Masuki? Whatever it was, that wasn’t important. <em>Priorities, Rokka</em>. “Even if your girlfriend broke up with you, I don’t think that gives you the right to just barge into someone else’s bed and sleep there without their permission.”</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki nervously rubbed her neck, “Yeah, I know that. I’m really sorry Rokka. Whoever came home last night…” she looked in the corner as if the drunk version of herself still stood there, “She wasn’t me. I won’t become her again, I swear. I won’t talk to you for the rest of the school year if that’s what you prefer.”</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka sighed. That’s all she could do. Sigh. What else could she do? The damage had been done. “I’m really sorry about the breakup Masuki-san, really.” The next words blurted out of her mouth before her mind could reprimand her for them, “I forgive you for whatever happened last night. You didn’t break anything, and I still slept perfectly fine.”</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki’s face shifted into a smirk, the relief obvious. Nothing like the smile Rokka had witnessed the night prior. “Thanks Rokka, truly. You’re really considerate.”</p>
<p class="p1">As her roommate got up to go to her own room, words came out of Rokka without thinking yet again. “Hey Masuki-san,” she called, and the blonde turned her head to look at her, expressionless. “I was wondering if you’d like to go with me to this concert of my favorite band tomorrow night? I know it’s last minute and all but I…I heard getting out of the house is a good way to get over a breakup and-”</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki cut off her rambling and she couldn’t have been gladder, “That sounds like a lot of fun, Rokka. I’d love to go.”</p>
<p class="p1">She smiled automatically, “That’s great! Just be ready to go at this time tomorrow and we’ll leave with my friends using the bullet train.” Masuki nodded and went into her own room, the only sound remaining the noises of the other dorms around them.</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka went to her own room, her mind racing again. Why did she invite her somewhat rude roommate to the concert? Why was she no longer extremely mad at someone for sleeping in her bed with her without her consent? Why was she actually anticipating seeing Masuki’s reaction to the band? Where had her life gone wrong?</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">The next day zoomed past Rokka like a cheetah, and before she knew it she was getting ready to leave for the concert with her friends. The time had hit five-thirty already and her roommate still had not returned home. She knew she gave the general time of around six, but her mind began to swarm her with thoughts of being “stood up” and “she didn’t really mean what she said, she was just being nice.”</p>
<p class="p1">More time passed. Six p.m. was here. Masuki was not. Rokka tried not to become upset, it was a last minute invitation and she could’ve forgotten. Or was running late. It’s not like she was going alone anyway, she had the always trusty Ako and Asuka with her as usual. It’s not even like she’d never seen her favorite band live before either, she’d seen so them so many times she stopped counting. But some part of her nagged that inviting Masuki made this one <em>different </em>somehow.</p>
<p class="p1">At around six-fifteen the trio agreed to stop waiting and that Masuki was a “no show.” They <em>had </em>to leave if they wanted to go to the live house on time. There was no point in waiting for someone that wouldn’t come. Just as they descended down the staircase to leave the building, Rokka noticed a familiar body shape racing into the front door. She had trouble recognizing the figure until she saw the blonde hair.</p>
<p class="p1">“Masuki-san!” She blurted out on a level a little too loud for the ground floor of a dorm building.</p>
<p class="p1">Immediately the figure turned around, her face contorted in stress. “Rokka!” Her roommate bellowed across the room, her feet racing yet again, this time in the opposite direction.</p>
<p class="p1">“Masuki-san!” Rokka voiced again, unnecessarily shouting. She exchanged confused expressions with her two friends as the other girl approached.</p>
<p class="p1">“I’m…so sorry….for being late,” Masuki rasped, her forearm grasping the front door glass frame. She made a rough gesture with her head toward some red motorcycle in the parking lot, “I ran into traffic coming back from work. We better leave now or we’ll miss the show. I’m sorry again.” She ushered the younger girls with her hands once she had gained her breath and they all made their way toward the train station.</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka and Masuki walked side by side with Ako and Asuka leading them, understanding that they needed to talk. Rokka started, crossing her arms, “You know, I was beginning to think that we were friends. Then you suddenly pull this shit on me. Sleeping in my bed. Coming late to my invitations. I don’t know what you think of me, but I’m beginning to think it’s negative.”</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki looked away at that, her eyes scanning the road. She didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Suddenly the memory returned that she had just been broken up with. <em>Shit Rokka, way to go.</em> “I’m sorry Rokka. Seriously.” Suddenly she turned back, and as if a switch turned inside, her usual charismatic self returned, “But I didn’t realize I could suddenly control traffic. Do <em>you</em> think I can control traffic?”</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka held back a chuckle, “Of course not. But…you worried me.” Now she turned away, focusing on the heads of her friends in front of them. What was <em>going on</em>?</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki put an arm around her neck and Rokka resisted the urge to move away instantly. Did her roommate smell like <em>ramen? </em>“Rokka, you should <em>never</em> worry about me. I’ll always be okay. No problem. Trust me. Like you trust me to do the dishes every other Sunday.”</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka nodded, trying her best to ignore the ramen smell. This was her <em>roommate</em>. She could trust her. She should. She <em>wanted </em>to. “You’re right, Masuki-san.” Something about seeing Masuki up close made her insides feel a bit…weird. She didn’t really know why. She assumed maybe her lunch didn’t enjoy mixing with the ramen smell. </p>
<p class="p1">Then, instead of some kind of awkward silent walk or train ride, Masuki asked her to describe her favorite band in as much corny detail as she needed. She wanted to hear all the stupid reasons why Rokka loved them so dearly. And Rokka did not hold back. Asuka rolled her eyes, used to hearing all about them over the years as if her sister wasn’t the lead singer and her best friend wasn’t their number one fan.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">They arrived at the live house with literally two minutes to spare, rushing into the hall into the back of the crowd. Even though Rokka had seen them live a billion times, nothing made her heart race more than seeing them on stage.</p>
<p class="p1">Kasumi entered center stage, her smile bright as ever, “Hello! We are Poppin’ Party!” Cheers echoed among the small venue at their entrance and her words.</p>
<p class="p1">Then the concert commenced. Rokka watched Masuki carefully throughout the concert, for her reactions to her personal favorite songs, or some fun quirks from the band members. She seemed…at peace. For the second time in their three months living together, Rokka saw Masuki smile. A real smile. A genuine one.</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki looked down at her, as if she could tell that her roommate had been watching her, and gave her the truest, most comfortable smile that could exist. For a split second, she forgot that she was at the concert of her favorite band. For a split second, only Masuki existed in the world. Rokka’s chest made an inhuman noise through her vocal cords before she could even think. “You know, I play the drums. My dad owns a live house like this one.”</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka nodded silently, words coming out of her mouth without her consent yet again. “That’s cool Masuki-san! I play the guitar! Poppin’ Party inspired me!”</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki nudged her with her shoulder, “We should have a jam session in our dorm sometime.” And for a split second, Rokka melted like a puddle at the hands of her roommate. Something about that damn woman’s <em>voice</em>.</p>
<p class="p1">“Sure!” She shouted back against the music, and they returned to the concert at focus as nothing had happened.</p>
<p class="p1">After the concert, they met with Poppin’ Party in their dressing room, Asuka so she could see her sister and the rest for general mingling. Masuki could not contain her shock at their relationship to the band, and Rokka found her reaction funnily out of character.</p>
<p class="p1">“You’re saying you know these people on a personal level? That’s awesome,” Masuki said as they walked in the wall to the dressing room, unable to contain her surprise and excitement.</p>
<p class="p1">They entered the dressing room to find the members packing up their instruments and materials for the day, discussing their own faults from the concert and ways to improve.</p>
<p class="p1">“Asuka-chan!” Kasumi shouted immediately, her voice bright as ever. She rushed to her sister to hug her in the most uncomfortable position possible. Arisa followed after her exasperatedly while Ako shifted to Tae, who was hunched over her guitar in its case.</p>
<p class="p1">“Rokka-chan!” Rimi called, smiling. She was sitting next to Saaya, both of them looking at some sheet music.</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka smiled back and dragged Masuki over with her by her wrist. “Rimi-san! Saaya-san! It’s great to see you again! As expected your concert was unrivaled. I’m seriously amazed every single time.”</p>
<p class="p1">Rimi blushed, “Thanks again as always, Rokka-chan.” Her eyes scanned her roommate, “Who is this you brought? A new friend?”</p>
<p class="p1">“This is Masuki-san! She’s my roommate at school,” Rokka, overly polite as usual toward Poppin’ Party despite all these years as their friend. She added quickly while looking at Saaya, “She plays the drums too.”</p>
<p class="p1">Saaya smiled now, her eyes on Masuki as well. “You do? I’d love to talk about techniques with you someday then! Any friend of Rokka-chan’s is a friend of ours.” Rokka felt her insides melt again, this time out of admiration for her favorite band.</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki gave a gentle nod of recognition at a fellow percussionist, “That sounds dope. Your performance was spectacular. I really had a great time tonight. Thanks to you guys and Rokka’s invite, getting through my breakup got a little easier.”</p>
<p class="p1">“I’m so sorry you’re going through that, Masuki-san! I’m ecstatic that we could help in some way. If we can help in any other way please let us know,” Saaya smothered straight away, conducting as though they had known each other for years.</p>
<p class="p1">“Exactly! If you ever need us, just ask Rokka-chan and we’ll be there to have a jam session or let you vent your frustrations to a stranger. Whatever helps,” Rimi added, her usual soft voice extra soft in consideration.</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki smirked her arrogant smirk. Not her smile. Just a smirk. “You guys are awfully sweet, but I’m okay.” <em>What a liar</em>, was the immediate thought in Rokka’s mind, <em>you were too sad to sleep alone so you went in my bed.</em></p>
<p class="p1"><em> “</em>Rokka-chan! You brought a new friend! I need to meet them now!” Kasumi shouted after she had covered her sister in love, running to embrace Rokka this time.</p>
<p class="p1">They talked on for another half hour before the live house representative kicked them out and all of them remembered they were college students and had class the next day. Rokka went home that night feeling different. Different in a positive way. She wasn’t sure how or why, when she had seen Poppin’ Party live so many times prior. But something was different.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">Rokka and Masuki’s relationship changed then. No longer were they merely two people that lived in the same vicinity. They were <em>friends</em> now, real friends. They talked about more than just the weather, classes, and chores. They talked about the seasons, famous comedians, and music. They talked about music <em>a lot</em>. It was something that bonded them together stronger than any other subject.</p>
<p class="p1">Another couple weeks past by like that. The two of them sat in their common room, Rokka with her guitar and Masuki with her cajon. Unknowingly, they had begun writing a song together. A small, silly, simple one. But a song nonetheless.</p>
<p class="p1">They worked on altering a verse when Masuki brought up a different topic, “Hey Lock,” she interrupted using her recent nickname. Masuki had created it when she asked Rokka the level of her guitar skills and said after her demonstration that she could be in a rock band and exceed expectations. Lock, like rock but with a Masuki twist to it.</p>
<p class="p1">“Yeah?” She looked up from her guitar where she had been fixing the fingering to a certain phrase.</p>
<p class="p1">“Would you want to go to a baking class with me this Saturday? After one of Saaya and I’s drum sessions together she told me about the classes taught at her family’s bakery and encouraged me to go since I love baking. I’ve been going for the past couple weeks and thought you might want to join, you know, as a change of pace,” Masuki suggested, no hesitation on her face.</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka’s mind lit up. While they hung out more now around their room together, they still rarely did activities together outside. “That sounds fun, Masuki-san! I can only warn you now that I am not very talented in baking…at all. I’m not even sure I should be trusted near an oven.”</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki chuckled her hearty chuckle, “No worries Rokka, you’ve got me. I’ll make sure you don’t burn the place down.”</p>
<p class="p1">She was comforted by that, and smiled back. “Thanks Masuki-san, now let’s get back to this song.”</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">The time came for their baking class before Rokka even felt mentally prepared. Before she realized, there she was, Masuki and an oven in front of her, both of them feeling like Mount Fuji. Fortunately, the lesson for the day was something as “simple” as carrot cake, but by simple the instructor seemed to mean “unnecessary amount of ingredients and steps.”</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki appeared to know exactly what to do, moving with a relaxed swiftness that Rokka had never seen before. Her comfortableness with each kitchen tool, never looking confused or uncertain about their usage. It was…admirable. Rokka honestly felt like she could watch Masuki bake for ages. It was a new side of her.</p>
<p class="p1">But, unfortunately, Masuki insisted Rokka helped her. That <em>was </em>the reason she invited her. Unfortunately. Her roommate slide a bowl with all the ingredients over to her and handed her the portable mixer with one word, “Mix.”</p>
<p class="p1">Finding no point in arguing, Rokka did as instructed. Well, attempted. She discovered that mixing together ingredients, even <em>with</em> a portable mixer, actually had its own difficulties. First of all, the butter refused to melt beautifully together with the other ingredients. Then the mixture just kept being this chunky mess that made her want to cry.</p>
<p class="p1">She looked to her blonde knight for guidance. Masuki actually had been watching her the whole time, an amused expression dotting her face. Rokka immediately felt the urge to wipe it off. Their eyes met and her friend spoke, “You’re not doing that bad Rokka, just a little bit longer and we’ll be caught up with the rest of the class.”</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka let out a sigh, looking back to the mixture in front of her, “If I’m not doing that bad then why are you laughing at me?”</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki shook her head matter-of-factly, “I’m not laughing at you! I just think you trying so hard at something so simple is cute.”</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka’s chest made another inhuman sound before her brain could even acknowledge what just been said. A furious blush splashed across her cheeks. Her eyes fixated on the cake batter in front of her, she replied, “T-thanks Masuki-san…” What else was she supposed to say? Why did Masuki just…do this to her?</p>
<p class="p1">They stood in silence for a couple minutes afterward. The other students in the baking class around them filling their silence with their own conversations: about the weather, about school, about baking, about cafes. Apparently they had been silent for too long, since the instructor’s assistant felt the need to walk over to them.</p>
<p class="p1">“How is it going? You’re all caught up now right? I’m so glad Satou-san brought a friend this time,” the assistant remarked, her teal hair glistening in the light.</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki smirked a polite smirk. You know, the one made for acquaintances. “Sayo-san, it’s nice to see you again! We’re all caught up now, no worries. Rokka here,” she said as she moved to rest her arm across Rokka’s shoulders, “is not that keen on baking. I brought her so she could get better.”</p>
<p class="p1">Sayo nodded, “Sounds like a solid plan, Satou-san. I’m glad to hear that.” She turned to explicitly look at Rokka, “Nice to meet you, Rokka-san.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Nice to meet you Sayo-san,” Rokka blurted, her embarrassment painting her face. Something about Masuki resting her arm on her shoulder made her want to run away from everybody and everything. At this point, her mixture had grown into the description that the instructor had said all those ages ago, and she looked at the assistant for aid. “Now what do we do?”</p>
<p class="p1">Sayo gave them the next set of instructions and, thankfully, moved onto the table at the front where they had dropped a carton of eggs in the middle of an argument. Masuki removed her arm from Rokka and went back to being a cooking channel contest victor, each move as graceful and confident as the next.</p>
<p class="p1">Unknowingly they arrived to the part where the cakes need to bake. By some miracle, Rokka managed to help around here and there and a real carrot cake had been made. However, they needed to bake for forty minutes. Forty. Minutes. She lived with Masuki so she was used to conversing with her on a day-to-day basis. But forty minutes waiting for carrot cake to bake felt like forty minutes of agony.</p>
<p class="p1">They spent the first fifteen minutes of those forty making frosting, thankfully. But after that the instructor told them just to socialize with each other and “make new friends! We all love baking here!” It had become apparent to Rokka after a couple minutes that despite Masuki’s often appearances at these classes, she had not been spending the baking time socializing.</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki began conversation with her no problem though, “Hey,” she said with a nudge and another smirk. This one mischievous. “You went the whole class thus far without killing us. I’d say that’s pretty spectacular.”</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka returned a jagged smile back, “I don’t know why you convinced yourself that I was going to set the place on fire, but I won’t. I’m just not very skilled in baking is all.”</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki shrugged, cleaning their utensils with enough soap to clean a small penguin, “You seriously aren’t that bad, Rokka. If you came another time or two you might even get to one-third of my level.”</p>
<p class="p1"><em>What is she doing? </em>Suddenly, the realization dawned on her. Masuki was <em>flirting </em>with her. Masuki was flirting with <em>her</em>. Rokka chuckled lightly, hiding those feelings and thoughts deep in her psyche for another time. A different second than the one going on right now. “Is that a challenge?”</p>
<p class="p1">“Of course not. I’m just saying to give yourself some credit where credit is due,” suddenly she paused her rigorous cleaning and turned to face her roommate, “Like your guitar playing. Your nickname isn’t Lock for nothing.”</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka sighed, “That’s just the nickname <em>you</em> gave me. Plus isn’t one of the most important virtues humbleness?”</p>
<p class="p1">The blonde returned to cleaning. There were two utensils she had left. Rokka attempted to wash off their cooking station as they discussed. Masuki continued, “I mean…yeah. But so is self-confidence. Believe in yourself sometimes. You deserve it.”</p>
<p class="p1">She choked on her words a little, not really sure what to say. “T-thanks Masuki-san…you really didn’t have to say all that. I-I’ll work on it.” <em>I’ll work on it? </em>Her internal monologue screamed. <em>What the fuck do I do?</em></p>
<p class="p1">Masuki gave out another little deep scuttle of noises that sounded positive, and then silence enveloped them once again. <em>What the fuck do I do? </em>Her mind chanted again. She had talked to Masuki countless times every single day for months and suddenly there they were: in the middle of a baking class with nothing to say.</p>
<p class="p1">After a couple of minutes of silence Sayo returned to them and began chatting up about some baking technique with Masuki. Rokka had never been more grateful to not have to talk. She listened to them discuss about this oven brand and that egg substitute and whether exact measurements made any influence. She joined in every once awhile if Sayo wanted to listen to an outsider’s perspective or wanted to ask her about something else just to get to know her better.</p>
<p class="p1">Somehow, the forty minutes went by and the cakes had been baked. The class got their cakes out of the oven and were frosting them together after waiting <em>another</em> agonizing ten minutes for cooling when Masuki made another move. Rokka had assumed that Masuki calling her cute would be the last of the blatant flirting for the night. She was wrong.</p>
<p class="p1">Frosting cake gets messy. Rokka knew this. She also knew that Masuki knew. They finally finished frosting the cake, relief flooding in her like an opened dam, when Masuki felt the need to help her clean herself up. She prepared to turn on the faucet to wash her hands when Masuki suddenly grabbed her wrist, muttering, “You have frosting on your nose.”</p>
<p class="p1">Then, with their eyes locked, she proceeded to wipe the frosting off with a damp paper towel. For the second time, Rokka melted like putty in the hands of her roommate. She also hadn’t liked how she’d begun to count. Something about seeing Masuki up close made her heart inhumanly fast. Especially when her gentle hands moved across her nose definitely a lot slower than necessary. Her eyes, no longer the usual harsh coding on them, looked like a tender lake in the middle of a ravine.</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka decided she needed to go home immediately. After that unnecessarily intimate moment, she coughed purposely to return to the real world and they went back to the cake in front of them. The instructor said the best way to eat carrot cake was to wait a day or two after leaving it in the refrigerator so the ingredients could settle within one another. But they were two hungry college students with no concept of self-control, and they each ate a slice of the cake as soon as they returned to their dorm that night.</p>
<p class="p1">To her surprise, the cake <em>was </em>good. She knew the cake was good because of Masuki, but a little part of her felt proud of herself. Maybe her roommate had been right. Maybe she <em>was </em>only half bad of a baker. She went to bed that night feeling different again about Masuki. The thoughts about flirting flew back in her face again and her stomach gurgled with anxiety. Had Masuki been flirting with her? Should she flirt back? What was going on?</p>
<p class="p1">Whatever was going on, Rokka enjoyed it. Whatever it was. So she chose to not stop whatever happened from happening. Might as well let herself melt into a puddle because of her roommate a third time in the future. Not like that would hurt anybody.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">The two of them hung out a lot more often outside of their room after that. Rokka took her to a couple more Poppin’ Party concerts, and Masuki took her to a couple more cooking classes. They shopped for decorations for their room together. They even performed their collaborated song together in a small music contest from their college. Without realizing, they were becoming something of an “item.” At least that’s what Ako and Asuka were telling her.</p>
<p class="p1">“I can’t believe you’re dating Masuki-san,” Asuka had said, her mouth half-full of some kind of lettuce from her salad.</p>
<p class="p1">The three of them sat together for lunch as usual. Asuka with some kind of salad, Ako with sushi, and Rokka with ramen. Not that she began to eat it more often because of Masuki or anything. She just was in the mood for it that day.</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka’s cheeked puffed a slight pink in response, “I’m not dating Masuki-san. We just see each other outside of our room…often now.”</p>
<p class="p1">“And probably make out often now too,” Asuka added nonchalantly, her eyes eating the salad as much as her mouth.</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka’s cheeked dashed a darker color now, “Of course not, Asuka-chan! We’ve never even kissed!”</p>
<p class="p1">Ako contributed to her torture now, eyeing her sushi as if it could stare back, “But I bet you’d like to.”</p>
<p class="p1">Her mind fell into a jumble, and she had to work hard to bring back words into her vocabulary. “S-shut up! We’re not like that!”</p>
<p class="p1">“You act like we haven’t seen you <em>swooning</em> over her since day one, Rokka-chan. The way you guys look at each other is definitely not the same way us three look at each other,” Asuka continued, pausing her lunch venture for a bit.</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka felt emotionally attacked. What did they know that she didn’t already know herself? “Whatever guys. We’re just not dating is all.” What else was she supposed to say?</p>
<p class="p1">“I know, just don’t act surprised when it happens,” Asuka said, concluding their conversation topic. Rokka’s head spun a little more than usual.</p>
<p class="p1">Ako brought up one of her online games and began a monologue about the recent update and its repercussions among the gaming community and some other things Rokka truly could not care about. She loved Ako dearly, and supported her interests wholeheartedly, but even just their small conversation about Masuki and her had consumed her whole mind from then on. Ako hadbeen easy to tune out.</p>
<p class="p1">She decided, reluctantly, that she was going to bring up their relationship to Masuki soon. In her mind, they were just friends and roommates…but were they more? She had no idea. She had to ask.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">Nearing the end of the school year, Rokka finally summed up the courage to ask. Somehow. It was Saturday, a rainy Saturday, and the two decided to have a shitty movie marathon with the worst movies they could find on Netflix. The timing was perfect. Or at least…doable.</p>
<p class="p1">The two laid comfortably on top of the futon in their common room, thoroughly enjoying the use of the huge TV Rokka and her friends helped Masuki carry in on that first day. They sat next to each other, Rokka with her legs bent up on the futon with a blanket on and Masuki just sitting normally. After a bit of time Rokka felt herself dozing off, but she kept forcing herself to focus on the movie in front of them. Some mailman attempted to flirt using Christmas cards but kept sending them to the wrong people using a poorly CGed carrier pigeon.</p>
<p class="p1">Casually, her roommate voiced, “Rokka, you can take a nap you know. I don’t think the mailman will mind.”</p>
<p class="p1">Her eyes flashed open, her mind suddenly awake. They had spent the first movie talking here and there, but they were in the middle of their second movie and had barely said anything. She stammered, “I-I know, I just want to see the movie.”</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki gave a gruff response, “If you want. Not like you’ll be missing much though. We <em>did</em> try to pick the shittiest movies we could find.”</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka chuckled softly, sleep giving a gentle knock on her door yet again. Suddenly her mind nagged at her, <em>why don’t you ask about your relationship now? </em>She tried to dovetail it into the conversation casually, “We did, didn’t we? We’ve been doing a lot of things together haven’t we?”</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki shrugged, not sensing the purpose of the conversation, “Yeah, I enjoy spending time with you.” Rokka’s mind fought the urge to blush immediately.</p>
<p class="p1">Rokka wanted to test the boundaries, just to see where they were. She inched closer to Masuki and yawned dramatically. “Actually, I will take a nap I think.” Slowly she rested her head on Masuki’s comfortable lap, her heart beating a bit too fast for her liking.</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki didn’t budge. She didn’t look uncomfortable. She seemed…fine. Normal. “Sleep well.” She murmured in her gorgeous deep voice. For the seventh, yes, seventh at this point, time Rokka felt herself melt at the hands of her roommate.</p>
<p class="p1">Instead of going to sleep as mentioned, Rokka’s mind raced. She <em>had </em>to say something now right? She had to! “Hey Masuki-san,” her voice shook with anxiety, her heart beating out of her chest.</p>
<p class="p1">“Yeah?” She asked, her eyes still focused on the mailman and his niece singing some godawful song that Rokka wished she could never hear ever again.</p>
<p class="p1">“A-are we dating?” Rokka burst out, still looking up at her roommate’s face for guidance.</p>
<p class="p1">Masuki seemed unfazed and paused the movie to look down at her with gentle eyes, “I’d like to, if we aren’t already.”</p>
<p class="p1">A wave of…relief? Shock? Flooded her and Rokka let out a long breath, “I’d like that too.” The words hung in the air like fireworks, neither of them wanting to say anything else. They sat in awe at those firework words for a bit.</p>
<p class="p1">They didn’t <em>need</em> to say anything else. They both knew the answer long before saying anything out loud. That felt good. Masuki being her girlfriend felt good.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This went a lot longer than initially planned but I'm really glad at the end results, honestly. I hope you enjoyed it!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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